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And-Ones: Brown, 3-Point Contest, Glass Floor, Bjelica

February 5th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The All-Star dunk contest has lost its star power in recent years. That could change this month. The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown is strongly considering accepting an invitation to participate, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Charania said Brown has been “mulling over the possibility for several weeks.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • A star-laden cast is lining up for the All-Star weekend’s 3-point contest. Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, Jalen Brunson and Lauri Markkanen have agreed to participate, Charania tweets. The same goes for Tyrese Maxey, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT tweets. Donovan Mitchell has also added his name to the list, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
  • The entire All-Star Saturday night lineup will be played on a full video LED court that will be installed at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The skills competition, 3-point contest, slam dunk competition and shooting matchup between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu will take place on the glass floor on Feb. 17. The All-Star Game on Feb. 18 will remain on a wooden court.
  • Former NBA player Nemanja Bjelica was allegedly threatened to be stabbed with scissors, Eurohoops.net relays. Nikola Petkovic, a former soccer player, confronted Bjelica in a children’s playroom in Belgrade, according to multiple Serbian outlets, and threatened Bjelica and his famly. Petkovic was arrested and detained for 48 hours. Bjelica, a member of the Warriors’ 2022 championship team, hasn’t played this season.
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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Maxey, Harris, Drummond, Deadline Approach

February 5th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As Joel Embiid prepares for surgery, Sixers coach Nick Nurse said the reigning Most Valuable Player is experiencing a range of emotions, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“I think he’s probably a little up and down to be honest with you,” Nurse said on Monday. “But I get some pretty positive vibes, which is why I say he’s up. Some encouraging things. And then there’s time when he’s probably about what you would be like.”

Embiid will soon undergo lateral meniscus surgery for a tear in his left knee. He’s expected to miss an extended amount of time but a firm timetable can’t be established until the surgical procedure is complete.

“There’s some tough moments to go though, thinking about what could be and what’s going to happen next, the road to recovery and all that kind of stuff,” Nurse said. “You know you got to take a positive spin on it. Anybody in life in an illness or sickness has got to say ‘I’m going to bounce back and I’m going be ready, right?’ I get some of that from him, too.”

We have more on the Sixers:

  • Embiid will miss at least a month, no matter how well the surgery goes and how limited the damage is to his knee, Shams Charania reported on the Run It Back FanDuel show (video link). “I’m told that the hope is that Embiid misses one to two months. I’m told that’s the best case, minimum scenario,” Charania said.
  • While Embiid is on the mend, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris will have to take on more responsibilities, Paul Reed and Mohamed Bamba will need to hold the fort in the middle, and wings such as Nicolas Batum will have to pitch in, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
  • A reunion with Andre Drummond? Pompey believes the Sixers should target the Bulls’ backup center in trade talks. Drummond backed up Embiid during the 2021/22 season.
  • Along the same theme, Pompey discusses other potential trade targets, as well as detailing the expiring contracts and draft capital Philadelphia could use to make moves before Thursday’s trade deadline.
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2024 NBA All-Star Reserves Revealed

February 1st, 2024 at 6:27pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2024 NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday night, according to a release from the NBA (Twitter links). Below is a rundown of the 14 players set to join the previously announced starters in the All-Star Game set in Indianapolis on Feb. 18. All-Star reserves are selected by the league’s head coaches.

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Maxey, Brunson and Banchero are first-time All-Stars. Brunson was a strong contender for a starting guard spot in the Eastern Conference, a spot that ultimately went to Bucks guard Damian Lillard. Mitchell (five), Brown (three), Adebayo (three), and Randle (three) are all multi-time selections.

As observed by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), Randle earns a $1.3MM bonus by making the All-Star Game. Though with the Knicks forward set to miss extended time, it’s likely the NBA will name an injury replacement player. Injury replacements are named by commissioner Adam Silver.

If Brown plays in 65 games by the end of the year, he’ll receive a $1.7MM bonus for his All-Star nod, according to Marks, who adds that Celtics guard Jrue Holiday had a $348K All-Star bonus that is now deemed unlikely.

Hawks guard Trae Young, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Boston’s Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Magic forward Franz Wagner, Bulls guard Coby White, Pacers center Myles Turner and Heat forward Jimmy Butler are among players who had cases to make the game but didn’t.

Western Conference Reserves:

Every player among the Western Conference’s reserves is now a multi-time All-Star. This is Curry’s 10th All-Star appearance, leading the group. George and Davis will be making their ninth appearances. Booker (four), Edwards (tw0), Towns (four) and Leonard (six) round out the list.

Having not been selected to the All-Star Game, Kings forward Domantas Sabonis will miss out on a $1.3MM bonus, according to Marks (Twitter link). Sabonis would regain that bonus if he’s named as an injury replacement, but none of the 12 Western All-Stars appear in danger of missing the game at this point.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Wolves center Rudy Gobert, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, New Orleans forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, Clippers guard James Harden and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen are among those who missed the cut in the West.

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Atlantic Notes: Morris, Maxey, Embiid, Hartenstein, Celtics, Nwora

January 30th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Marcus Morris, who has already been traded once this season, recognizes that his expiring $17.1MM expiring contract makes him a candidate to be dealt again by next Thursday, but the Sixers forward – and Philadelphia native – isn’t let his uncertain future faze him, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Honestly, to be real with you, like I’m a pro, man,” Morris said on Monday. “So I just go into it with the same (stuff), man, to keep my body the same, because regardless of where I go, I’m still going to be able to help the team win if I’m going somewhere.

“I just hoop. … It’s part of a business. I understand it. I’ve been around. So if I go into it and act, like, sorry for myself or feel like it should never happen or anything, I’m being naive to the game. Being here 13 years gets you prepared for (stuff) like this. I’ve been on seven different teams. I’ve been traded a few times. I would be naive to act like I’d been surprised to get traded.”

Morris has played regular minutes for the 76ers since being acquired from the Clippers in the James Harden trade, so the team would likely only move him in a deal that clearly improves the rotation. It’s unclear whether that sort of opportunity will arise at the trade deadline or whether the Sixers’ front office will have to wait into the offseason to pursue more serious upgrades.

“I’m not 100% sure,” Morris said. “This is my hometown. I love it here. I’m just not sure, but I’m prepared for it.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (left ankle sprain) will miss a third consecutive game on Tuesday, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT. Star center Joel Embiid may also be out for a third straight contest — he’ll be a game-time decision in Golden State, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Every potential missed game looms large for Embiid and his awards eligibility.
  • Isaiah Hartenstein was in the Knicks‘ starting lineup on Saturday and Monday after missing two games with an Achilles issue, but only logged 32 total minutes in those games. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), Hartenstein is on a minutes limit, but could have played up to about 25 minutes on Monday — with New York up big, he only ended up playing 16.
  • The Celtics could benefit from adding one more big wing to their roster, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who considers which players around the NBA might be logical targets for the club. Naji Marshall, Saddiq Bey, and Thaddeus Young are among the players Forsberg mentions.
  • After playing in Milwaukee for his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons, Jordan Nwora has been traded in each of the past two winters. Part of Indiana’s package for Pascal Siakam, Nwora is hoping to stick in Toronto and is looking forward to the opportunity he has with the Raptors, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “It’s a new situation, new opportunity, and in my head, I’m just going to just make the most of it,” he said.
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Sixers Notes: Embiid, PPP, Reed, Maxey

January 28th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets coach Michael Malone expects the NBA to investigate the Sixers after Joel Embiid was a late scratch for Saturday’s game at Denver, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Embiid wasn’t listed on Philadelphia’s injury report, but the team’s medical staff decided to hold him out due to knee soreness after watching him in pregame warmups.

Malone suggests the decision might violate the league’s new Player Participation Policy, which discourages teams from resting star players who aren’t seriously injured. The guidelines specifically mention nationally televised games, which Saturday’s contest was as an expected meeting between Embiid and Nikola Jokic. The PPP also encourages single-game absences for stars to happen at home rather than on the road.

“I don’t know how you go from being active, available, to out. And I’m sure the league will do their due diligence, because that’s frowned upon,” Malone said. “And we’ve had situations this year where we talked to the league, and they told us if a player goes from being active to out, there’s going to be an investigation. So I’m sure that’ll happen. And I’m sure that Joel, he hurt his knee in the Indiana game. Like, that’s real. … I’m sure he is hurt.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

  • Embiid took a lot of heat for missing the game, including a derisive chant of “Where’s Embiid at?” from Nuggets fans, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Nick Nurse defended his star center, saying Embiid has been experiencing knee pain for some time and will be reevaluated today. “I don’t think that it’s anything that’s super major,” Nurse said. “But it’s always kind of monitoring any of the swelling or whatever’s going on. Try to get it under control and get him ready as soon as we can.”
  • With Embiid unavailable, backup center Paul Reed delivered one of the best games of his career, Pompey adds. Reed posted Embiid-style numbers with 30 points, 13 rebounds and two steals and even impressed Jokic with his performance. “We don’t need to talk about Joel Embiid, not just because he didn’t play, but because I think Paul Reed played really good for them,” Jokic said. “And we need to give him credit. He was fighting, he attacked the glass, he shot the ball really well. I think he deserves, in this moment, more time than Joel.”
  • In an interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Tyrese Maxey talks about being given the freedom to run the Sixers’ offense in his fourth NBA season. “It’s been great,” Maxey said. “These guys have the ultimate confidence in me, all the way from the organization down to the players, the front office. So I can just go out there and be successful every single night. Be aggressive, play my game — even through mistakes, too.”
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Joel Embiid Held Out Of Denver Game With Knee Soreness

January 27th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Today’s game between the Sixers and Nuggets doesn’t include a rematch of MVP candidates Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Philadelphia’s training staff decided to hold Embiid out of the contest with left knee soreness after watching him in pregame warmups, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Embiid was dealing with pain in his knee during Thursday’s loss at Indiana, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He managed to play 31 minutes and score 31 points, but he took an awkward fall at one point and grabbed at the knee. Pompey observed that Embiid had difficulty moving on defense throughout the game, and despite his great scoring night, the team was minus-20 when he was on the court.

Embiid and Jokic, who have combined to win the last three MVP awards, had their only meeting of the season on January 16 in Philadelphia. Embiid posted 41 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in the Sixers’ five-point victory, while Jokic countered with 25 points, 19 rebounds and three assists.

Every game that Embiid misses is significant, given that he needs to play in 65 to qualify for MVP honors under the NBA’s new guidelines. Today marks his 11th missed game of the season, and it appears the knee could be a lingering issue. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris are also sitting out the game with injuries. Embiid hasn’t played in Denver since 2019, Pompey tweets.

Today’s game is featured on ABC as part of the NBA’s “Rivals Week” promotion, but it loses a lot of its appeal without the matchup between the league’s two best centers.

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Atlantic Notes: Hartenstein, Poeltl, Martin, Maxey

January 22nd, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Center Isaiah Hartenstein could miss some time due to soreness in his left foot and ankle, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. The Knicks will see how he feels on Tuesday before determining his status for their matchup with the Nets. He’s listed as questionable due to Achilles tendinopathy.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa will need to step in if Hartenstein misses any time (Twitter link via Knicks Videos). Julius Randle or OG Anunoby could also get minutes at center if Thibodeau is willing to use smaller lineups.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Raptors center Jakob Poeltl is progressing well in his recovery from an ankle injury, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Poeltl didn’t play against Memphis on Monday but the Raptors are hoping to have him back “very, very soon,” according to coach Darko Rajakovic. Poeltl hasn’t played since Jan. 7.
  • The Sixers have made swingman KJ Martin available on the trade market, Marc Stein reports in his latest notebook. Philadelphia is looking for a quality second-round pick in a potential deal. Martin has struggled for playing time on a veteran-laden team. He has appeared in 25 games this season but is only averaging 5.9 minutes in those outings. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
  • By starting 41 games this season, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has met the starter’s criteria, bumping his qualifying offer to $8,486,620, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. For a player at Maxey’s level, the increase of his QO isn’t significant, since he’s widely expected to receive a max contract from Philadelphia in lieu of exploring the restricted free agent market.
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Trade Rumors: Murray, Sixers, Mavs, Brown, Pelicans

January 21st, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

Shams Charania of The Athletic said a few days ago during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that he has “not gotten the sense” that the Sixers will aggressively pursue Dejounte Murray, despite being identified earlier this month as a potential suitor for the Hawks guard.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also cast some doubt this week on the idea that Murray will be a top target for Philadelphia, suggesting that he’s a “questionable fit” next to rising 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.

However, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer isn’t ruling out the possibility, exploring the idea of the Sixers going after Murray and positing that he would be a better fit alongside Maxey than he has been with Trae Young in Atlanta, since Maxey wouldn’t be uncomfortable operating off the ball and focusing on scoring.

Still, Pompey acknowledges that the Hawks’ reported asking price for Murray – two first-round picks and a quality player – would be steep for a Philadelphia team that isn’t necessarily loaded with valuable assets. It’s also unclear whether the Sixers view Murray as the sort of player for whom they’d be willing to sacrifice future cap flexibility, including 2024 cap room.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

  • Brad Townsend of The Dallas News previews the trade deadline from the Mavericks‘ perspective, noting that minority owner and head of basketball operations Mark Cuban confirmed during a recent radio appearance that the team would like to further fortify its frontcourt. “If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that’d be a plus,” Cuban said. “Six-eight or bigger.”
  • After being sent from Indiana to Toronto this week, veteran guard Bruce Brown knows that he’s considered a candidate to be moved again before the trade deadline, but he tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) that he’d be fine staying with the Raptors and hasn’t asked them to seek a deal. “I don’t know anything. I’m not requesting anything,” Brown said “… That’s up to (team president) Masai (Ujiri), whatever he wants to do. If he moves me he moves me. If he doesn’t, I’ll stay. It is what it is.”
  • After ducking below the luxury tax line by sending Kira Lewis to Toronto (via Indiana), what’s next for the Pelicans on the trade market? Christian Clark of NOLA.com explores that topic, suggesting that the team will almost certainly continue to keep an eye out for a center. Cavaliers starter Jarrett Allen has long been a top target for New Orleans, but he’s unlikely to be available, so a player like Wendell Carter of the Magic or Onyeka Okongwu of the Hawks could be a more viable option, suggests Clark. The poison pill provision applies to Okongwu, which could complicate any deal that involves him.
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Sixers Notes: Bamba, Maxey, Embiid, Trade Options

December 27th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Tonight will mark the first trip to Orlando for Sixers center Mohamed Bamba since the Magic traded him in February, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Bamba was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, but he never developed into the starting-caliber center that Orlando hoped he would be. He was shipped to the Lakers at last year’s trade deadline and signed with Philadelphia this summer, but he remains close with his former Magic teammates.

“Yeah, that’s family over there, you know, all those guys,” Bamba said after Monday’s game. “I’m probably going to stop by Jalen Suggs’ mom’s house tomorrow just to kick it. But that’s family, Cole (Anthony), Wendell (Carter Jr.), Kelle (Markelle Fultz). Those are guys that I can say I grew up with in the league.”

The Lakers hosted the Magic in March, but Bamba wasn’t able to play because of an injury. He’s expected to see plenty of minutes tonight with Joel Embiid sidelined by an ankle sprain, and he’s coming off his best game of the season with 18 points, six rebounds and two steals Monday at Miami.

“It’s just a matter of getting out there and trying not to be the game, throwing out the game,” Bamba said. “You don’t get enough minutes to be out there throwing away minutes, feeling out the game. But I got an opportunity to feel them out (during the first stretch), came back, made some changes and tried to be a little more aggressive.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

  • Philadelphia has lost all four games that Embiid has missed this season, and the other players have to figure out how to win without the reigning MVP, Pompey states in a separate story. He notes that Embiid’s absence has been particularly tough on Tyrese Maxey, who was limited to 12 points Monday and is averaging just 20.3 PPG while shooting 37.5% from the field and 17.3% from three-point range when Embiid hasn’t played.
  • Embiid has been ruled out for tonight, but his status for Friday’s game at Houston hasn’t been determined, Pompey adds. Coach Nick Nurse is optimistic that his ankle sprain won’t be a long-term issue. “We have a very deep roster of people who can play at a high level,” Kelly Oubre said. “It’s about consistency. … So tomorrow’s a new challenge for us to show we can win without Jo. And we’ll see what happens.”
  • Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks of ESPN look at the options for president of basketball operations Daryl Morey as he tries to add another star to the Sixers’ lineup. Morey’s ability to make a deal will expand on January 1 when aggregate restrictions are lifted for Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Marcus Morris and KJ Martin, who were acquired from the Clippers in the James Harden trade. The ESPN authors examine the pros and cons of trying to land a big name or some smaller pieces before the trade deadline or waiting until the offseason to make significant moves.
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Sixers Notes: Oubre, Harden, Nurse, Morey, Embiid

December 4th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers forward Kelly Oubre has been cleared to play on Wednesday after going through a full practice on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Oubre has been sidelined since Nov. 10 due to injuries suffered in a reported hit-and-run accident. Oubre, who was signed to a one-year contract as a free agent, was off to a hot start before the incident, averaging 16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Oubre was reluctant to share details about it due to an ongoing police investigation. However, he’s upset that some people have expressed doubts about his story.

“This was and is a very traumatic situation for me and my family,” Oubre said. “I just wish that my life wasn’t The Truman Show, where everybody can kind of watch it and have their own opinion about my life. This is very hard for us to have to deal with — and for me to miss being on the court, which keeps me sane. A lot of people are very inconsiderate and insensitive to try to worry about video cameras and [stuff] about something that happened with my life, and it’s very detrimental to me and missing time with my job.”

We have more on the Sixers:

  • James Harden told Sam Amick of The Athletic that he was promised a max deal by the Sixers front office. However, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post that he spoke to a Sixers source on Monday who refuted Harden’s claim. According to Stein’s source, no such promise was made after Harden agreed to a two-year deal with a player option in the summer of 2022.
  • The 76ers have thrived since the Harden trade and Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports details how coach Nick Nurse and top exec Daryl Morey put plans in motion even before the deal was made. They were tweaking schemes in order to maximize the team’s potential without the mercurial guard. Nurse also gave Joel Embiid advice on how he could be more effective in the postseason. “Just having more variety and less predictability,” Nurse said. “Not having the same rhythm to every game, not doing the same thing over and over, just making things a little bit more unpredictable. That way [opponents] don’t know what’s coming as much, and you’re hard to prepare for.”
  • Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were both at Sixers practice on Monday after missing Friday’s game at Boston due to illness, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
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